Reading a Nest After Predation

ID NP-2026-0420-01 Type Predation event (cavity nest) Species Unknown cavity-nesting bird Evidence Nestling remains · disturbed soil · cavity breach · scattered nesting fibres Possible predator Fox or marten (unconfirmed) Location Garden edge · decaying tree hollow (ground level) Date Mid-April · morning discovery Notes Entry appears forced from below via excavation. Nest contents removed; one nestling left behind. Nearby jay feather likely incidental. I was walking past the old tree at the bottom of the garden, the one with the split trunk and the peeling bark. It's been dead for a while, but I left it there, since there are a lot of animals depending on dead wood. Looking down, something caught my eye. A single feather. Dark blue, almost black at first glance, but when I looked closer, the faint barring gave it away. A jay feather, from the Eurasian Jay. Once you recognise them, they’re unmistakable. We have a lot of them flying around here. Beautiful, but noisy birds. The fun thing…